Episode 66 | Steve had a Minor Stroke. Here's What I'd Do Differently - A Lesson in Being Prepared

In this episode, I share a personal story about my husband Steve's stroke, emphasizing the importance of being prepared for unexpected emergencies. If that emergency is a stroke, your guideline is the "BE FAST" acronym. I share the story of the earthquake that happened during a second-grade field trip with our daughter Kelly. In that case, being ready paid off!

Switching gears...sales professional Nick Costa discusses building rapport and providing value in sales, while communications specialist Diane De Resta offers insights on overcoming fear by focusing on serving others. Last but not least, I introduce my upcoming video series, "Uncopyable Sales Secrets - The Video Series," aimed at simplifying the sales process to help sales professionals, business owners and entrepreneurs achieve success.

Kay Miller interviews women in sales with proven track records, as they share their experiences, success strategies and tools you can use to crush your sales goals. Kay has a history of sales success, earning the nickname “Muffler Mama” when she sold more automotive mufflers than anyone in the world. Kay and her guests deliver actionable insights and real-world tools that will help you overcome obstacles, adopt a winning mindset, and maximize your sales results.

Kay is the author of the book, Uncopyable Sales Secrets – How to Create an Unfair Advantage and Outsell the Competition. Go to Amazon.com and search “Uncopyable Sales Secrets” to order the book, or click the link below.

Contact:
kay@uncopyablesales.com
linkedin.com/in/millerkay
Order Uncopyable Sales Secrets: amzn.to/35dGlYZ

Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00:24) -  Welcome to this episode of Uncopyable Women in Sales. I'm Kay Miller, your host, and if you've been listening to the podcast, you know, I interview some really great women in sales and they might be sales professionals, but they're also entrepreneurs and business owners who might have started a business because they love a certain idea or product or service. But then the fact is, we all have to sell. If you don't have sales, it's not a business, it's a hobby. That's something that I've heard and it really is true. So we all need to sell if we are in business. So I love the fact that what my guests are sharing really applies to anyone who has anything to do with sales. As one of my recent guests said, you need to be in sales. Even if you're a pastor, you need to build a church, and then you need to sell people on the vision of what your beliefs are. So I want to change the subject radically, because I have a story of something that just happened.

Speaker 1 (00:01:35) -  On May 31st, my husband Steve, had a stroke. That's right. You know what this This story has some humor in it. And luckily, a happy ending. So I want you to know that right from the beginning, everything turned out fine. And that is definitely surprising considering the state he was in when I found him. I was going up to Seattle to meet a friend for dinner and a movie and first of all, my friend Teri said she texted me and she said, I'm running a little bit late. She was at the, a pet behaviorist, a pet behaviorist, something like that, because she's got a rescue dog and unfortunately he bites people. So she was with this dog trainer and she was running late. So I thought, okay, well, I don't have to rush up to Seattle. I don't want to get there early and just wait around. So I was thinking and realized I didn't have something that I like to have with me at all times, and that is a Pepcid.

Speaker 1 (00:02:43) -  Now, if you have acid indigestion like I do, you know what a Pepcid is. Basically, I do I get acid tummy and I have to take either Tums or Pepcid which prevents that from happening. I didn't really need a Pepcid. I ended up never even taking that Pepcid, but that was the reason that I turned around and found Steve in what a state? He was speaking some unintelligible, garbled words and obviously something was seriously wrong. He was holding his phone and he didn't even know what it was. He's like trying to call it his computer or something. It was just obviously really alarming. So what I should have done is called 911, but I did not do that. I loaded him into the car and drove him very quickly to the emergency room. So he was walking unsteadily when we got there, but I was able to support him as we walked into the emergency room. And I waved my hands and waved, you know, waved him all around and said, we have an emergency.

Speaker 1 (00:03:55) -  And about then Steve's legs started crumpling and, before he hit the ground, luckily there were two people right there with a wheelchair, and they caught him just in time. And at that point, they whisked him away down the hall with me following behind. And there were about five people giving him an IV, bringing in equipment. I don't know what they were doing, but they were doing it fast. they definitely didn't ask for his insurance card, I'll tell you that. But he went from not being able to answer the question. What day is it? Who's the president? and not being able to identify the pictures of the very simple things, too, rather quickly, getting back to normal. I mean, it didn't happen right away. It was, you know, step by step process. But every minute that went by, he seemed better. And as I said, they had an IV in him. I believe they were giving him blood thinners. And it turns out the kind of stroke that he had was a blood clot that got caught in the brain, and luckily it moved through.

Speaker 1 (00:05:07) -  And so there really wasn't any lasting damage. So the fact that I happened to turn around at that exact moment I go to Seattle all the time, I've never turned around. We really felt like it was a God moment, because I just can't understand why. On that particular occasion, as he was having a stroke, I turned around and saved the day. So anyway, as I said, I'm joking only because everything turned out okay. So after they checked him out in the E.R., they had an ambulance come and take him to the hospital. So he spent the weekend in the hospital having more tests like an MRI and who knows what they they monitored all his vital signs for the whole weekend and then said, okay, you can go home. It's very unlikely that you'll have another stroke. And he had to take some kind of medication for 21 days, which doesn't seem like very long. and they recommended a baby aspirin, which is controversial, I've heard, because it can also cause some problems, like bleeding.

Speaker 1 (00:06:16) -  But his. In Steve's case, the, side effects are not bad enough to stop him from taking something that will prevent him from having another stroke. And you know what? Strokes don't happen just to old people. They do happen more often to older people. I looked this up. The average age of someone who has a stroke is 74. However, 10% of strokes, all the strokes that happen happened to people under the age of 45. So boy, 45 to me sounds like just a little baby. So, it can happen to anyone. So it's good to know what the signs are and what you should do. So there is an acronym that the Stroke Society has come up with that I'm going to share here, just in case you ever need it. And the acronym is B e F.a.s.t.. It stands for balance eyes, face, arms, speech and time. So a sudden loss of balance coordination is definitely a bad sign and can be a sign of a stroke. Vision problems can happen.

Speaker 1 (00:07:31) -  Blurred or double vision can occur. The face of course, that's something that we probably think of the most, is that one side of someone's face is drooping. And of course, if you have a catastrophic stroke that can be permanent, which is extremely scary. The A stands for weakness or numbness in the arms, especially if it's one arm or the other. Speech difficulty speaking is a critical indicator. And oh my gosh, like I said, Steve, he said he could think of what he wanted to say, but it did not come out at all. So it was very weird. The T is for time and time is of the essence, and that's really why what you should do if this occurs is to call 911 immediately. Because the quicker a stroke is treated, the more likely that there will be a great outcome. So being prepared for, for example, somebody having a stroke reminds me of another story that's very memorable to me and might help you react to an unexpected emergency that occurs. So let me tell you the story.

Speaker 1 (00:08:48) -  This is a long time ago, and our daughter Kelly was probably about three years old, and we were over at some friend's house and the kids were playing upstairs, and we were socializing and talking to grownups when there was an earthquake. And I still remember how it kind of slowly dawned on me that this wasn't a plane going over or a firecracker outside. It definitely was an earthquake. Well, this is earthquake territory. We live in Seattle. I was born and raised here, and everybody in Seattle knows the drill. Find something sturdy to hide under. So when I realized that yes, this was an earthquake, I started scanning the room to find the very best place to protect myself, and I quickly realized the best spot would be under the dining room table. That's where I needed to go. And just as I was headed to the table to duck and cover, I heard Steve's voice saying, Where's Kelly? And I stopped and I'm like, oh yeah, Kelly, I'd totally forgotten about Kelly.

Speaker 1 (00:09:57) -  By then, Steve had already rushed upstairs together, and by the time he came down, the earthquake was over. And of course, so was the party. I felt so bad driving home, I thought, I am the worst mother in the world. I had been tested and I not only failed, I had flunked. Disaster had struck and I thought only of myself. So like I said, I felt horrible. And the most traumatic part was how I had reacted. But when it was over, I thought, you know what? When and if this ever happens again, I'll be prepared. And I went through in my mind, if there's an earthquake, what should I do? Yes, get to safety. But are there other people around me, like children that I might need to help? So you know what? There was a next time. When Kelly was in second grade, she was on a field trip to the Seattle Center. And of course, I was along as a chaperone.

Speaker 1 (00:11:03) -  I chaperone every field trip, of course. So we were in the science center building, and this is the same area that the Space Needle is in. So of course, you know what I'm talking about, whether or not you've been in Seattle. So we were in the science building and we were right in front of a dinosaur exhibit. And these weren't life sized dinosaurs, but they were good sized. And all of a sudden they started swaying. And we're thinking, is this animatronics? No, it was not animatronics. We were having an earthquake. And because I'd gone through this in my mind, I stayed calm. I was in charge of two kids, Kelly and.

Speaker 2 (00:11:47) -  Doug.

Speaker 1 (00:11:48) -  And I took their hands and walked quickly. I walked quickly and purposefully toward the exit. So again, being prepared for something like that can help you react differently the next time it happens. And the earthquake that we had in Seattle was minor. And of course, the news media, filmed a few buildings that had some cracks and crumbles in them.

Speaker 1 (00:12:14) -  And everybody thought this was devastating and people from out of town were saying, are you okay? So when I talk about overcoming fear, which I did in the last episode, which was my first solo episode, it's something we all have to deal with if we're pushing ourselves beyond our comfort zones, or if it's something that happens, like an emergency Overcoming fear is so important because, as a therapist once said, I won't say who's therapist. When you're in a state of fear or anxiety, your brain does not work well. So it's really good to rehearse how you will act in a situation that brings on fear or anxiety. And that's something that I also do talk about in the book, and I will be talking about in a minute, because I'm embarking on something new. I have a book and I have a podcast, and I'm now developing a video series called Unstoppable Sales Secrets. The video series. Very original. Right? It's based on my book and it's based on the UN Copyable framework. I think a lot of sales books and trainings make things too complicated.

Speaker 1 (00:13:38) -  And in my book, by simplify the process, I explain what's worked for me. I talk about what's worked for other people in sales, as well as entrepreneurs and business owners. We're all in sales, whether you're a sales professional or you're a business owner, or you find yourself in some other situation where you want to persuade people. After my book came out, I was talking to one of the people that I featured in the book, and his name is Nick Costa, and I talk about some of the things that Nick has done to get more customers and make more sales, and you will be blown away by his creativity. Nick works for a company called Zesco, which is in the truck equipment business. I won't explain exactly, but it deals with trucks. After he he read the book for the first time, he sent me a text and said, I love the book. So I had to call him right away. And I was delighted to hear, of course, that he really liked the book, and I set up an interview so I could find out more, and he agreed that a lot of sales books make sales so confusing, and they're also really focused on closing.

Speaker 1 (00:15:01) -  And of course, without the clothes there is no deal. But if you focus just on the clothes, you're not going to make sales. If you've ever been on the other end of a sale where someone's trying to sell you and trying to close you, you know what I mean? That's a horrible feeling. And it doesn't work. If you are trying to make any type of relationship or ongoing sales, you cannot be seen by the customer as a closer. So let me quote something that Nick said in the interview. There's so much more to the clothes than a slick line or pressure. It really shouldn't be that way in my mind. Sales should be a building. Sorry. Sales should be building an immediate rapport with the client. Understanding what they need out of the conversation and the relationship. What's going to benefit them and throughout the entire process? Every interaction that you have with the customer should inch that needle a little closer to having a relationship, to building trust, to providing value, and ultimately to making the sale.

Speaker 1 (00:16:15) -  So again, closing and getting the deal is part of the process. And with my book and my podcast and now my upcoming video series, my goal is for you to be more successful in sales and to create an unfair advantage. Like I talk about in the book, one of my favorite compliments I've ever received was when I was selling mufflers, and one of my customers sent a letter to my district manager, Dennis. And in the letter he said, K has become an asset to our company. We don't know what we'd do without her. So they were calling me an asset, their sales person. They saw me as part of their company, and they saw me as bringing something to the table that was more important than just what I was selling. And when you become part of the package that your customer is buying and you're seen as an asset, you will win every time. You know, I just finished a book called Never Broken and it was written by the singer Jewel. a brand new book.

Speaker 1 (00:17:27) -  And I'm telling you what a story. If you know anything about Jewel, you've probably heard that she was homeless at one point. She grew up in Alaska and she had a very dysfunctional family. And she's really, wow, a deep thinker, very well-read. I learned a lot of really surprising things about her, and it was a very enjoyable book. But one thing I really loved and I think really applies to sales, is how Jewell described performing not as putting on a show, but as connecting with every audience member and every listener to give them a meaningful experience. This reminds me of something a recent guest said. Diane de Resta is a communications specialist and she. I don't know which episode she's on, but you should definitely listen to it. And one of the things that she said, one of the points she made was that you will be less nervous if you're not focused on yourself, but you're focused on who you are serving. That takes away a lot of the anxiety and nervousness because you really are tuned into them instead of yourself.

Speaker 1 (00:18:42) -  And in my case, I do. I want to connect with you. I want to create a meaningful experience that changes you for the better. Even if I can help you make one more sales call or one more sale, or help build your confidence, or let you know that you're not alone when things get tough. Those are my goals, and I really appreciate you listening to the UN Copyable Women in Sales podcast. I hope you will continue listening. Following. I'd love a review. Tell your friends whatever you can do to help me spread the word. that I am sharing and my fabulous guests are sharing. I hope that you got value out of this episode and were entertained by some of my stories. And I ask you to please keep listening to the podcast and remember the acronym. Be fast. If you ever see somebody who you think might be having a stroke, you on the next episode of UN Copyable Women in Sales.